A seven-year-old African girl who was presented to Queen Victoria as a 'gift' in 1850 went on to become one of the best-known African women in Victorian Britain. But behind her royal connections was a childhood marked by violence, separation from her family, and decisions made largely by others. Now, 176 years later, a newly published biography examines the life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, while her great-great-grandson, Bayo Randle, reflects on what her experiences meant for his family.
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